A BILL to amend and reenact §18-2-35 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to requiring each county board of
education to hold a public hearing on the issue of mandating
each student enrolled in a public school to wear a school
uniform while attending that school.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §18-2-35 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

§18-2-35. Dress codes requiring school uniforms for students.
(a) The Legislature hereby finds that the clothing and
footwear worn by students in public schools often preoccupy and
distract students from their major purpose for being in school, which is obtaining an education. The Legislature finds that in
schools that have adopted a dress code requiring students to wear
school uniforms, disparities in student socioeconomic levels are
less obvious and disruptive incidents are less likely to occur.
(b) The State Board shall promulgate rulesa rule in
accordance with article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this
code. that allow aThe rule shall require each county board to
implementdevelop an implementation plan for a dress code requiring
students to wear a school uniformthat requires students to wear a
school uniform beginning before or with the school year commencing
two thousand eight.The uniforms may be required by the county
board for either a school district, or for any certain school
within the district.Additionally, the rulesrule shall provide at
least the following:
(1) The county board may create an advisory committee
comprised of parents, school employees and students for the purpose
of considering whether the board should adopt a dress code
requiring schoolthe type of uniforms for students in the district;
(2) The county board may create an advisory committee
comprised of parents, school employees and students for the purpose
of considering whether the board should adopt a dress code
requiringdifferent school uniforms for students in any certain
schooldifferent schools within the district; and
(3) If The advisory committee recommends to the board that a
dress code requiring school uniforms for students be adopted either
for the district or for any certain school within the district, the advisory committee also shallmay make recommendations on
alternative methods of paying for the school uniforms. and(4) If the advisory committee recommends to the board that a
dress code requiring school uniforms for students be adopted either
for the district or for any certain school within the district and
if the advisory committee reports its recommendations on
alternative methods of paying for the school uniforms to the board,
the board may adopt a dress code requiring school uniforms for
students.(c) Nothing in this section requires a county board to adopt
a dress code requiring school uniforms for students.(d)(c) Nothing in this section requires any level of funding
by the Legislature, boards of education or any other agency of
government.